IAS officer transferred after landing in ACB net

Raipur, Aug 6 (PTI) An IAS officer who allegedly took a bribe of Rs 10,000 from a revenue officer in Chhattisgarh’s Kanker district has been transferred.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh

“Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Bhanupratappur, Ranbir Sharma, a 2012 batch Indian Administrative Service officer, has been shifted as Under Secretary Mantralaya at Naya Raipur till further orders,” an official statement said here today.

The sleuths of Anti-Corruption Bureau had yesterday trapped Sharma while taking bribe from ‘patwari’ (revenue officer) Sudhir Lakra at his office in Bhanupratappur.

According to Superintendent of Police (ACB) Rajnesh Singh,?SDM Sharma had demanded a bribe of Rs 40,000 from Lakra while allegedly threatening him of taking action against him based on reports of forgery published in local newspapers in connection with Lakra.

On August 1, Sharma took the first instalment of Rs 20,000 through his peon Ganeshram Sori.

Yesterday, Sori was caught red-handed while accepting the second instalment of Rs 10,000, the SP said.

“During interrogation, Sori admitted to taking bribe on behalf of the SDM from the patwari,” the SP said.

“Disturbed over continuous demands of bribe from the SDM, who is a 2012-batch IAS officer, Lakra approached the ACB following which he was given a voice-recorder to trap the SDM,” he had yesterday said.

On August 1, Lakra met the SDM requesting him for a relief in the bribe amount. However, Sharma did not budge and took the first instalment of Rs 20,000 through his peon Ganeshram Sori, he said.

“We have audio clips of conversation between the victim and the SDM,” Singh had said.

A case has been registered in this connection and further probe is on, Singh added.